Clinical trials in the Philippines for the COVID-19 vaccines developed by other countries will begin in October.
Although the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseas (IATF) sub-technical working group on COVID-19 vaccine trials has not yet identified which vaccines will undergo trial, five are now leading studies including Oxford-Astrazenica, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Moderna, and Pfizer.
The vaccines will undergo thorough evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before clinical trials are conducted. Experts will be needing volunteers from areas with high number of COVID-19 cases to further detect the impact of the said vaccines. Vaccine developers will also provide selection criteria and an informed consent will be given to participants. Participants will be compensated but not highly.
“‘Yung trial list ‘di pwede magbigay ng malalaking halaga. Bakit? Dahil baka yung mga tao sumasali ‘di dahil naiintindihan nila yung makukuha sa trial kundi dahil may bayad at malaki. That’s what we call undue inducement (We cannot give huge sums for the trial list. Why? Because the participants might join not because they are aware of what the trial could bring but because they will be paid handsomely or what we call undue inducement),” Philippine Council for Health Research and Development Exec. Dir. Dr. Jaime Montoya explained.
Montoya also assured the safety of participants and clarified that they will not transfer the disease to the volunteer to test the effectiveness of the vaccine.
FDA Director General Dr. Eric Domingo added that the ethics board of the country is also “very strict.” Those who will conduct the clinical trial will provide insurance or have liability in case a patient dies. The country is not yet capable of developing its own vaccines due to lack of facilities and technological equipment. It is currently coordinating with 16 vaccine manufacturers, including Russia.
– Report from Naomi Tiburcio
